The cards were stacked against the Southern Utah defense Saturday. The offense took advantage.

During the Thunderbirds first scrimmage of fall camp, SUU coaches held out nearly its entire defensive starting lineup.

“When we heard, we were a little disappointed,” senior quarterback Patrick Tyler said. “It would have been better competition.”

Going up against mostly backups, the offense did what it was supposed to do — it scored. The SUU offense put up 34 points over the course of the 12-series scrimmage and clearly was the superior side on Saturday. The offense played with an effective uptempo attack that kept the T-Bird defense on its heels for most of the scrimmage.

“That’s what we have to do,” head coach Demario Warren said of the 34 points scored. “That’s not outstanding. We didn’t put up 50 today. I think that’s what we have to work towards. If you want to win games at a high tempo, you have to score 40-plus. Sure, 34 is good, but that has to be the minimum. I think they should feel good about themselves, but they shouldn’t be over confident.”

SUU knows what it has on the defensive side of the ball, so coaches didn’t feel it was necessary to risk the health of its core defensive linemen — Robert Torgerson, Anu Pole’o, Taylor Pili, Fesi Vaa’ivaka and Chance Bearnson — or other key starters like linebacker Mike Needham and safeties Kyle Hannemann and Tyler Collett.

Southern Utah quarterback Patrick Tyler (3) throws a pass during a scrimmage on Saturday, August ...more

And without most of the studs of the defense playing, it allowed the offense to showcase some of its playmakers. As well as put the spotlight directly on the quarterback battle between Tyler and sophomore Aaron Zwahlen.

The two quarterbacks were both effective on Saturday. On the drives that were tracked by The Spectrum & Daily News, Tyler went 8 for 12 for 101 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 44-yard run down inside the 10-yard line to set up a touchdown run from running back James Felila. Zwahlen went 18 for 21 for 184 yards and a touchdown.

Tyler’s big play on Saturday came when he hit Isaiah Diego-Williams in stride for a 55-yard touchdown.

“I have been missing those in practices,” Tyler said. “I just put the ball up there and let him go get it. He’s so fast. It’s just one, two, three, and throw it up in the air.”

Zwahlen also had a long pass play, connecting with Alex Croyle for a 44-yard gain down to the one-yard line. Croyle also caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Zwahlen.

“They continue to make smart decisions,” Warren said of the two QBs. “They didn’t have a turnover which was huge and they continued to move the chains on third down."

No matter who the quarterback was, even third stringer Anthony Catalano was effective, the offense consistently moved the ball down the field. Which means the T-Birds aren’t any closer to naming a starting quarterback. But there are worse problems to have.

“In a perfect world, you would like to know who that guy is,” offensive coordinator Justin Walterscheid said. “But more importantly to naming the guy early, you want to make sure you properly evaluate. And it’s been a tight race between both of those guys. It’s a good problem to have. They are both playing really well. We’ll watch this film and see things they can grow from.”

The offensive-filled scrimmage wasn’t just a quarterback showcase. Along with young receivers making plays, a lot of new running backs got their first chance at full contact, too. After his first-series touchdown, Felila didn’t see the field again which allowed newcomers like Jay Green, Lelon Dillard, and Siddique Newkirk to get carries.

Southern Utah running back Siddique Newkirk (42) hurdles a defender during a scrimmage on Saturday, ...more

Southern Utah running back Siddique Newkirk (42) hurdles a defender during a scrimmage on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

Jordan Allred / The Spectrum & Daily News

“Lelon Dillard made a couple huge short-yardage runs for us: on a 4th-and-2 and then busted one into the end zone,” Warren said. “That was exciting.”

“Jay Green has been a guy that has come a long way,” Walterscheid said. “He’s showing us he can play at this level. He’s strong enough, he has phenomenal balance.”

As for the defense, the T-Birds looked overmatched at times. Freshman corner Jalen Russell made a nice jump on an out route to knock the ball away, and that ended up being the standout defensive play.

“He’s a hard worker, he’s always positive,” Zwahlen said of Russell. “He’s a student of the game and he stood out.”

The Southern Utah football team held a scrimmage on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

The Southern Utah football team held a scrimmage on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

Jordan Allred / The Spectrum & Daily News

Just not as much as the offense on Saturday.

“I told you, we got some athletes over there,” Warren said. “I keep telling everybody. Nobody believes me. We got some explosive weapons over there. I know we got people that can make plays, and we saw a glimpse of that.”